“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”
- Sue Monk Kidd (b. 1948), American historical novelist, written in The Secret Life of Bees
Storytelling.
We’re approaching when we gather the kids and read “The Night Before Christmas.” It will be a couple hours after we go hear the telling of the story upon which Christmas is really based.
Why do we still gather 24, 22, and 18-year-olds together to read a book they have probably memorized?
Because the telling has become the story, and we hope it is for their kids so that they, too, can remember who they are and why they’re here. The 24-year-old can’t return to the Midwest, so we’ll probably have to video call her. And, it might be the last Christmas Eve the five of us are together.
So might it be for any of us. There’s no guarantee of tomorrow, or even later today. Let’s make an effort to leave a story worth telling and to tell stories worth keeping alive.
Leave a Reply